Dear Primary Families,
What do parents and teachers agree on? I would like to think there are many areas of agreement, but key ones are that both parents and teachers want children to enjoy coming to school, they want children to be successful, and they want children to make good progress.
One of the big differences I have noticed since moving into the Acting Primary Team Lead role has been how I have had far more opportunities to meet with and speak with parents. I would like to take some time this afternoon to talk about the value of a positive relationship between home and school.
One of the ways that we endeavour to build the home-school relationship is through our various methods of communication. Homeroom teachers, for example, send a weekly email on a Sunday morning in which they share details of the areas of study for the week ahead. While the format for these is a little different for each grade level, the information aims to provide a guide for the upcoming week. At the end of the week information is shared for each homeroom class via the broadcaster post. This is when teachers look back at the week and share a reflection on the events.
Another way that we are trying to build the relationship with home is via our monthly Parent-Teacher Coffee mornings. We held our first on Wednesday of this week and it was a pleasure to meet those that were able to attend. We had a number of parents that are new to the ABIS community as well as some who have been part of the community for a year or even many years. While it was an informal gathering, it was a wonderful opportunity to discuss a range of issues and I found listening to the differing views, ideas and opinions most helpful.
During the Parent-Teacher Coffee event, the subject of Parent Workshops was raised and it was encouraging to hear how well last year’s were received. A request was made for the first workshop this year to be the ‘Introduction to the Primary Years Programme (PYP)’ and I am happy to confirm that we can arrange this. The provisional date for this will be Wednesday, 11th October (8:00 – 9:30 am).
If you ever do have questions or concerns about your child’s learning, I am always happy to speak with you. However, I would always encourage you to first speak with your child’s homeroom teacher as they are the ones that know your child best.
We look forward to building a strong home-school partnership and very much look forward to and appreciate your continued support.
Best regards,
Matthew
Primary Team Lead
Reminders:
Thursday 21st September: No school day for students. Professional Development Day for staff.
Wednesday 11th October (8:00 – 9:30 am): Parent Workshop: Introduction to the Primary Years Programme (PYP)